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Getting the dish on Atlanta drag
Drag comes in many forms and you can catch any type on almost any given night in Atlanta. But we wanted to take a look behind the makeup and the wigs, behind the facial hair and the binding.
So we posed the same questions to six different kings and queens across the city, some new on the scene, others who’ve reached drag legend status. What was the first song they performed? What have they learned about themselves as performers? What are the biggest misconceptions? What’s the most money they made in one night? How long does it take them to get dressed? How much longer do they want to perform?
So take a look at some profiles in Atlanta drag, followed by a listing of where to catch these and other kings and queens throughout the city on any given night.
You can’t talk about Atlanta’s drag scene without talking about Mr. Charlie Brown. The Backstreet legend and Nashville native is still going strong at 65, doing two shows on Friday and three on Saturday every week at Lips. Find out about the old days, the new days and why he’s not stopping anytime soon.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
About 21, when I was old enough to get into the bars. I started out as the male lead, I did the male parts in productions in duets. And then I transferred over from there.
How old were you when you first performed publicly in drag?
Same age, 21.
What song did you do at your first performance?
“Maybe” by The Three Degrees. It was a big number for me.
What have you learned about yourself as a performer since then?
I truly enjoy entertaining. My drag mothers taught me early that the day you think you’re a star you’ll never be one. And every time you walk on stage you have to prove to those who’ve heard of you why you’re there and to impress the ones that haven’t heard of you.
What’s your favorite thing about being a drag performer?
Getting it all on and ready to go to work. That’s all I’ve done all my life ever since I was 21 so I truly enjoy the entertainment part of it. I enjoy the transformation of going from a fat bald man to what I think is a lovely old woman [LAUGHS].
Has your being a drag performer had a negative effect on your dating life? If so, how?
I’ve been with my lover since 1977. I met him in the bars. I met him in drag. The next night he met me out of makeup and we fell in love. It didn’t bother him either way, he liked me as a man or a woman. He preferred me as a woman onstage but as a man at home.
What’s the biggest misconception about being a drag performer?
A lot of people think that we all live in drag 24/7 and I have thoroughly enjoyed my life as a man and thoroughly enjoyed my career as a
woman, so I’ve had the best of both worlds.
Have you ever been harassed or physically assaulted for being a drag performer? If so, what happened?
Not in the latter years. When I first started, when I was 21 we had to hide the fact that we did drag. We had to do our makeup in the clubs and hide the fact that we were bringing dresses and wigs in.
What’s the most money you ever made in one night performing?
Oh, Lord. I don’t know. I’ve made a $1000 in one night in tips. But that, my friend, is a once in a lifetime thing and it was many years ago too [LAUGHS].
How long does it take you to get dressed and get ready for a performance?
From sitting down to walking out the door, about an hour and 15 minutes. That’s makeup, hose, bras, dresses, wigs, everything.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
Probably Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” just because everybody’s always given me so much love over the years and that would be appropriate to thank them for all the love they’ve given me.
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
Atlanta’s has always been rated as one of the top female impersonation cities in the country. Our entertainers look like a woman here more than anywhere else because our customers have demanded the perfection of it. That’s a 10.
How much longer do you want to be a drag performer?
Well I’ll be 66 this year. I can do it as long as I can run my dirty mouth, they love my dirty mouth [LAUGHS].
Chase Daniels
Chase Daniels has retired from performing, but has stayed busy emceeing shows on Fridays and Saturdays at My Sister’s Room with Jami ATL—the pair may be better known as MSR co-owners and wives Jennifer Maguire and Jami Siden. See what Daniels had to say about Atlanta’s drag scene and check out MSR’s new location in Midtown.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
Maybe 8 years old.
How old were you when you first performed publicly in drag?
MSR in Decatur about 10 years ago.
Do you remember the song you did at the first performance?
[Kanye West’s] “Gold Digger” mixed with “Beep” by The Pussycat Dolls. It was a duet with my drag mother Jade Daniels and late friend Dee Scott!
What was the hardest thing about being a drag performer?
Getting the same respect as our other fellow performers such as queens. It’s tough to get gigs at other venues and get equal pay as a drag kings versus drag queens. That’s why my wife Jami Atlanta and I try to have a venue where performers receive equal pay. From femme girls and burlesque to kings and queens, all are included and equally respected.
Did your being a drag performer ever have a negative effect on your dating life? If so, how?
No because I married her, but I can see where it would be a problem for some folks who may not want to be in the nightlife scene all the time. You have to date someone that supports what you love to do on the side or if it’s a full-time job.
What was the biggest misconception about being a drag performer?
That you identify as the opposite gender all the time.
How long does it take you to get dressed and get ready to emcee as Chase Daniels?
About an hour.
What are your favorite places to shop for drag clothes/accessories?
Thrift stores.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
“Under Pressure” by Queen.
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
8. There’s lots of talent but I would love to see more kings, burlesque and femme performers
Diamond Lil
Diamond Lil has been a drag performer in Atlanta since before Stonewall and if you run into her at Pride or the SAGE Center or any number of places around town, she’ll be sure to try and sell you her CD of original songs. We check in with her as she talks about taking eight hours to get ready and contemplating retirement.
Where were you born?
The oldest settled city in Georgia: Savannah.
Do you have a day job?
I’m a retired antique dealer.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
Five years old in Savannah.
How old were you when you first performed publicly in drag?
18.
Do you remember the song you did at the first performance?
“Three Letters” by Ruth Brown. I tore up three letters in front of the audience.
What have you learned about yourself as a performer since then?
There comes a time when it’s time to hang up your skirts.
Have you ever been harassed or physically assaulted for being a drag performer? If so, what happened?
Walking down the street going to a party in Savannah I was arrested for loitering.
How long does it take you to get dressed and get ready for a performance?
Eight long hours.
What are your favorite places to shop for drag clothes/accessories?
The Lost-N-Found Thrift Store.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
My original song “Cabbagetown Katie.”
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
Poor because all the stages have disappeared.
How much longer do you want to be a drag performer?
I’m now considering retirement like Rachel Wells.
Evah Destruction
The reigning Best Drag Queen (as voted on by Georgia Voice readers) is one of the young guns making a lot of noise on the scene. The Texas native talks about her first show, how being a drag queen has affected her dating life and how the competition between queens in Atlanta is “vicious.”
Do you have a day job?
No! I am a full time entertainer, which I love. Not a lot of people can say they do what they love for a living these days, so I’m very thankful.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
I was 18 years old, off to a costume party in what I thought was a Ke$ha illusion that was turning the party [LAUGHS], nope.
How old were you when you first performed publicly in drag?
18 [LAUGHS]. It was after Halloween and I realized, “Oh hey this is fun,” so I got myself together for my first performance at LeBuzz for a talent night they were doing.
Do you remember the song you did at the first performance?
So original, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.
What’s the hardest thing about being a
drag performer?
The constant competing between the queens in Atlanta, this city is literally vicious. Help is really hard to come by, because no one “wants anyone to be better than them.”
Has your being a drag performer had a negative effect on your dating life? If so, how?
At first yeah, because there’s always this stigma with drag queens in the community among so many others in general. People think we’re always divas, or want to be women automatically. It was always annoying. Plus there was always one guy that became obsessed with the idea of me being a drag queen; so then he wanted to try it, and have me put him in drag. Not my cup of tea.
What’s the biggest misconception about being a drag performer?
As I said before with the dating thing basically. Also people seem to think drag is cheap … which … it’s not. At. All. So don’t treat us that way.
How long does it take you to get dressed and get ready for a performance?
Usually an hour and a half.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
“That Laughing Track” by Crookers, hands down.
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
7.5. It’s one of the drag capitals in this freaking country. I gave it a 7.5, because as good as it is here (no really Atlanta drag is amazing), there’s a lot of fine tuning that can be done behind the scenes. Just saying.
Jordan Michaels McCord
Jordan Michaels McCord hasn’t won Best Drag King at Georgia Voice’s Best of Atlanta awards for nothing. While this killer king (who is better known as Tiffany Phillips in the daylight hours) got a late start to the drag scene, he’s more than made up for it. Check out the Atlanta native at MSR and see what he has to say about the scene below.
What’s your day job?
I am an animal cruelty investigator for a metro police department.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
I’ve always been “tomboyish.” From grade school on I’ve been a blue jeans and baseball cap kinda girl. But officially dressing up like a guy with facial hair and binding my chest? 2007.
Do you remember the song you did at the first performance?
One of the first songs I did was The Charlie Daniels Band, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” It was at a country theme night competition at My Sister’s Room.
What have you learned about yourself as a performer since then?
I’ve learned what it takes to entertain a crowd, how important it is to know all of your words to the songs and that the more bling, the better the costume!
What’s your favorite thing about being a drag performer?
I love when people come up to me after a show and tell me how much they enjoyed the performance. I also love all of the up-and-coming drag performers that tell me I have inspired them to work harder on their performances.
Has your being a drag performer had a negative effect on your dating life? If so, how?
Well actually, my last relationship did suffer a little because of it. I got in trouble for not spending enough time with her. My current partner luckily manages the restaurant at My Sister’s Room, so she is there a lot. It works out.
What’s the biggest misconception about being a drag performer?
That I dress like that all the time, or that I’m transitioning to be a guy. Some people think that it’s my full-time job.
Have you ever been harassed or physically assaulted for being a drag performer? If so, what happened?
The only thing I can think of is the time I performed “Bombs over Baghdad “by Outkast and a patron in the crowd didn’t think my Arabic costume was funny. It was Halloween and I did have a fake bomb strapped to my chest.
What’s the most you ever made in one night performing?
In ones, probably like $150. Which I thought was great! And that didn’t include my booking pay. My son asked if I was a stripper when I was counting it the next day.
How long does it take you to get dressed
and get ready for a performance?
Not super long, like a good 30 to 45 minutes. I wear makeup, but it doesn’t take as long as some of the queens I know. Binding my chest is usually done before I get there to save a little time.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
Picking one is hard. Elton is the man, and Prince is such an entertainer! But right now, I’m loving some Ed Sheeran. His acoustic version of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” is awesome!
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
I would definitely give Atlanta a 10! I think you can go all over Atlanta and enjoy a different variety of drag shows! Dinner, Sunday brunch, late night, campy drag, drag pageants, queens, kings, trans, femme, burlesque. If you’re looking for it, Atlanta has it. I just wish drag kings would get a little more recognition. We have some great kings in the ATL!
Shawnna Brooks
If you’re making a Mount Rushmore of Atlanta drag queens, you better make room for Shawnna Brooks. And if you think Ms. Brooks has slowed down, think again. You can catch her at Burkhart’s on Saturdays and at Blake’s on the Park on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Where were you born?
On the planet Mars [LAUGHS]. No, Baltimore, Maryland.
How old were you when you first dressed in drag?
Five years old, on Halloween. I was Catwoman.
How old were you when you first performed publicly in drag?
I did a talent show in Fayetteville, North Carolina. And that’s how I got hooked on it. I was 18.
Do you remember the song you did at the first performance?
I think it was “Eaten Alive” by Diana Ross. The applause, the crowd, the adrenaline of just being on stage was what I loved.
What’s the hardest thing about being a drag performer?
Losing dear friends over the years that you’ve known and worked with. I have so many, you don’t have enough time. I miss those kids a lot.
What’s your favorite thing about being a drag performer?
Seeing someone who’s had a bad day and you see them smile, and they forget about all their problems and just have a good time.
What’s the biggest misconception about being a drag performer?
That we don’t have lives outside of the bar. A lot of people think that’s all we do is the bar. And we do have feelings.
What’s the most you ever made in one night performing?
Last year somebody tipped a little over $800 for one number. That was one number. They just gave it to me in fifties when I was onstage.
How long does it take you to get dressed and get ready for a performance?
20 minutes. I’ve been doing it a long time honey, there’s no reason it should take you three hours if you’ve been doing it for 20 years. Sometimes 10 [minutes] if I’m in a rush. For some people it takes hours.
If you had to pick one, what would be your all-time favorite song to perform?
I would have to say anything by Deborah Cox. I have so many sweetie, I have a medley of her stuff that I do that’s always a crowdpleaser, no matter what crowd.
Rate Atlanta’s drag scene on a scale of 1 to 10.
6. And the reason why is because nowadays they’re letting anybody perform. You don’t have to have costumes, you don’t have to basically put anything into it. They’ll let anybody go onstage.
How much longer do you want to be a drag performer?
Until I lose the excitement of hearing my music and then walking out onstage. When you stop getting nervous, when you stop getting excited, that’s when it’s time to give it up.